Tongueless disk wheel-plow.



No. 64l,222. Patented 1an. 9, |960. S. D. PUULE.

` TONGUELESS DISK WHEEL PLOW.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.) 4 SheetS-Sheet I.

No. 644,222. Patented lan. 9, |900. S. D. POULE.

TONGUELESS DISK WHEEL PLUW.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

@b I 0g/fwd@ www No. 64|,'222. Patented 1an. 9, |900.

'8. D. POULE.

TUNGUELESS DISK WHEEL PLOW.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3:.

(No Modal.)`

No. 64|,222. Patented Jah. 9, |909.

s. n. Poom-1.

TONGUELESS DISK WHEEL PLOW.

l (Application filed Sept, 10.l 1898,)

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

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STALEY D. POOLE, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS,l ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE DEERE COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

TONGUELESS DISK WHEEL=PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,222, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed September 10, 1893. Serial No. 690,672; (No model.)

To @l whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, STALEY I). POOLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Tongueless Disk Wheel-Plow, of which the following is a speciiication.

My present invention relates, primarily, to improvements in that kind or type of wheel disk plows in which the plow-frame is supported on wheels, one of which wheels runs in advance of the f urrow-cntting disk and in the previously-made furrow and another of which wheels runs in the furrow being made and following said disk, both of which wheels are caster-wheels, while another wheel orv wheels are also generally used and in which said caster-wheels are connected by a link in such manner that one of them in swinging laterally or turning on its pivotal connection with the plow-frame will force the other wheel to swing therewith for the purpose of automatically guiding the plow. In wheel-plows of this type as made previous to my invention, as also in wheel-plows of the same type in which ordinary moldboard-plows are used instead of disks, and in both of which the caster-wheels have been connected as above specified, said wheel-plows have in many instances been provided with tongues orguidepoles, which have been fixed at theirv rear ends to the front caster-wheel or f urrow-wheel in such manner that in operation the tongue or guide-pole as it would be swung laterally independently of the plow-frame would thereby swing said front caster-wheel laterally, and the front caster-wheel would in turn swing the rear caster-wheel,and thereby guide the plow in making straight-awayfurrows,and especially in turning the plow at the ends of bouts orfurrows. Theadvantagesofatongueless plow are many and obvious in use. It is easier on the draft-animals; it allows them much greater freedom of action; it avoids all rubbing or chating of their sides; it avoids twisting on the neck-yoke, and often avoids upsetting the plow, caused by lengthening of the tongue and shortening of the traces relatively to other parts in turning, and thereby cramping the wheels. In some instances the principal compensating advantage of a tongue has heretofore been that it was the only known means of controlling and automatically castering the front furrow or caster wheel, which in turn castered and controlled the rear furrow-wheel. In tongueless wheel plows as made in many instances previous to my invention a rear caster-wheel has in some cases been used; but in a number of cases where a front furrow-wheel has been used it has been mounted on a spindle which was rigidlyixed to the plow-frame. Hence in turning the plow at the ends of furrows said l front furrowwheel must necessarily be dragged around sidewise and the rear furrow caster-wheel was free to roll around in the arc of a circle, and the two together failed to force the disk around in such manner as to compel it to cut out or plow the furrow in turning.

My invention has for its primary object to entirely overcome these and other objectionable features of the types of wheel-plows referred to; and to this end and object my invention consists, substantially, in suoli fea-v tures of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more particularly described. When the tongue is dispensed with, a new mode of operation arises. The' tongue is necessarily pivoted to swing laterally of the plow-frame, as it is fixed to the pivoted vertical part of the front caster-wheel shaft. Hence in turning the plow at the ends of furrows the tongue is iirst swung laterally by the draft-animals, and thereby acts on the front caster-wheel before the plow-frame is moved. In fact, in all movements of the tongue laterally this is the case. Hence the mode'of operation is different from that of the same devices without the tongue, in which case in turning the plow the draft-animals, in beginning to turn, rst act on the plow-frame, which then swings to defiect or swing the caster-wheels. This difference in the action on the caster-wheels effects a favorable result in turning the plow. The

mode of operation is, as is known, further different between said plows in that when the tongue is used the forward caster-wheel is the controlling-wheel and is iirst acted on by the tongue and then in turn swings the rear caster-wheel, while without the tongue, the plow-frame being turned by the draftanimals, swings away from the rear furrow or caster wheel, which is thus castered or swung and in turn acts on the front caster or furrow wheel and swings it. From the foregoing it will be seen that the two casterwheels do not perform the same functions with the tongue as without it. With the tongue the forward caster-wheel controls the rear caster-wheel, while without the tongue the rear caster-wheel controls the forward caster-wheel, and the result in turning the plow is quite different, and the elements retained after the removal of the tongue do not perform the same offices or functions as before.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the driver or operator may swing the forward caster-wheel alone or without a swinging movement of the rear caster-wheel for the purpose of guiding the plow in making straight furrows; and to this end and object the invention consists in means interposed in the connecting-rod between the crank-arms of the front and rear caster-wheels, by which means said connecting-rod may be used to swing the front casterwheel independently of the rear caster-wheel. In connection with the last-named feature of my invention it further consists in means interposed in said connecting-rod by which the length thereof may be adjusted for the purpose of adjusting and fixing the relative angles of the caster-wheels to each other and to the plow-frame.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by which the angle of the plane of rotation of the rear caster-wheel tothe plow-frame may be adjusted for the purpose of running the disk or plow more or less landward; and to this end my invention consists in an adjustable stop mechanism interposed between the bracket-arm which carries the rear caster-wheel and the plow-frame.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved journal-bearing by which the disk plowis mounted on the link or standard which carries it.

rlhe different novel combinations in which my improvements consist, the several and collective special and general operations of the component part-s of said combinations, new and useful results which are the products of said combinations, and novel structural features and novel organizations of parts embodied in said combinations are hereinafter described and are respectively made the subject-matter of claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings the different features o f my improvements are shown as embodied in the best way now known to me. Obviously, however, without departure from the purview of my invention these improvements may be used in wheel-plows differing in construction and organization of parts from the one shown by said drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a top plan showing a tonguelessdisk three-wheel plow with myimprovements incorporated therewith, as in operation plowing a furrow, the plow-beam shown as partly broken away; Fig. 2, a top plan, the beam partly broken away, showing the plow of Fig. 1 as in operation, turning at the end of a furrow; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation of the plow of Fig. 1 in the line 3 3 in Fig. 6 and side elevation showing the plow-beam complete and the disk lowered, as in plowing; Fig. 3a, a perspective of details hereinafter described, as seen from the rear and right-hand side of the plow; Fig. 4, a perspective of details hereinafter described, as seen from the rear and right-hand side of the plow; Fig. 5, samesectional elevation as Fig. 3 and side elevation, showing the disk in its elevated position; Fig. 6, a rear elevation showing the disk lowered, as in plowing; Fig. 7, a perspective of details hereinafter described, as seen from the front and left-hand side of the plow; Fig. 8, a perspective of details seen from the same point of view as Fig. 4, and Fig. 9 a central vertical section of the disk and adjacent parts.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 designates the plow-beam, to the forward end of which is fixed the draft device 5.

Numerals 6 and 7 designate arms or brackets projecting laterally from opposite sides, respectively, of the plow-beam. The arm or bracket 6 has a crank-arm 8 journaledon its outer end, the crank end of which is a spindle on which the land-wheel 9 is journaled.

The usual locking hand-lever 10 adjusts the crank 8 in the ordinary manner for leveling the plow. The forward' furrow-wheel 11 is journaled on the downwardly-inclined outer end or spindle of an arm or shaft 12, the vertical end 13 of which arm or shaft is journaled in a bearing 14 in the outer end of the bracket 7 and has one end of an inwardly-projecting crank-arm 15 fixed to its upper end. The rear end of the beam 4 is bent laterally and turned upwardly to form a bracket 16, and a fixed standard 17 is bolted thereto. (See Fig. 8.) The U-shaped bar or link 18 spans the lower end of the fixed standard 17 and is pivotally connected therewith by a bolt 19. The bar or link 18 extends forwardly and receives between its forward ends one end of a standard or link 20, which is bent, as shown best at Figs. 4 and 8, is pivotally connected at its lower end portion with the bar 18 by a bolt 21, and has the disk plow 22 mounted on its middle bent portion 23, as hereinafter described. The upper end 24 of the standard or link 2O is pivotally connected with the lower end of a bent hand-lever 25, which is pivoted at its bend to a curved rack-bar 26, the lower end 27 of which rack-bar is bent at right angles to its vertical part and has slots 28, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) through which bolts 29 pass to adjustably fix it to the plow-beam, on which it is seated. The hand-lever 25 has the usual spring-pawl 30 for locking it to the rack-bar 26.

By adjustments of the hand-lever 25, as indicated by dot-lines at Fig. 8, the depth of IOO IIO

' bolts 29.

plowing may be controlled, as the disk 22 is raised and lowered by the lever 25 raising or lowering the link or standard 20, on which said disk is mounted, and thereby swinging the distal end of the link 18 upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be. In thus adjusting the disk 22 in higher or lower po sitions, as described, the fixed standard 17, tilting standard or link 20, bar 18, and horizontal arm of the hand-lever 25 will raise and lower the disk, while its plane of rotation will remain substantially unchanged, as shown by dot-lines at Fig. 8. Assuming the disk 22 to be in its least inclined orin its nearest vertical position, as shown by full lines in the drawings, then by adjustments of the rackbar 26 rearwardly on the plowbeam the hand-lever 25 will bodily, with its fulcrum, be moved rearwardly and in so moving will swing the upper end of the tilting link or standard 2O rearwardly, as shown by dot-lines at Fig. 3, and thus tilt the disk rearwardly at its upper side and increase the degree of its inclination on a plane parallel with its axis of rotation or at right angles to its plane of rotation, as may be desired in different kinds of soil. After said adjustments of the rack-bar 26 it is fixed in place by the The drivers seat 31 is supported on a bar 32, which is bolted to the part 27 of the rack-bar, so as to be adjustable therewith.

The rear furrow-wheel 33 is mounted in an ordinary manne-r on the outerbent and downwardly-inclined end 34 of a swinging bracket 35, the forward end part of which is bent upwardly to form a standard or spindle36 at its forward end, which spindle is journaled in a head 37, fixed to the standard 17 and bracket 16. The spindle 36 projects above the head 37 and has one end of a crank-arm 38 xed thereto, the other end of said arm projecting outwardly therefrom with respect to the plow-beam when the rear caster-wheel isin its norm al position, as in plowing straight furrows. A bracket 39 projects rearwardly from the head 37, which carries it, and has a screw-threaded hole in its rear end part, through which an adjustable stop-bolt 40 is threaded and held in such position that one side of the bracket 35 will contact therewith for aliningthe travel of the plow or machine, as hereinafter described. As in all plows of this type, the pressure against the disk of the soil of thc furrow being turned would swing the rear end of the plow-beam and parts mounted thereon landward, and a stop at one side of an arm 39 has heretofore been provided to prevent this. In different kinds of soil and when the disk is adjusted for different depths of plowing and at different angles the lateral pressure of the soil on the disk varies. By adjustments of the stop pin or bolt 40 to project to a greater or less extent through the bracket 39 the rear furrowwheel may be adjusted in an evident manner to hold it and to rotate at such different angles tothe line of progression of the plow as may be necessary to counteract different degrees of lateral pressure on the disk, and thereby cause the plow to advance in a proper line of progression when plowing at different depths and in soil of different conditions and with the disk more or less tilted.

A stud-bolt 42, (see Fig. 9,) fixed to the end 43 of the journal 44, on which the disk 22 is mounted, passes through the part 23 of the link or standard 20, and a nut 45 removably secures it in place on said part 23, with a lug 46 seated in a recess in the part 23 to prevent rotary' movement of said journal. A cupshaped cap 47, fixed to the disk by bolts 48,

which pass through its annular ange 49 and` through the disk, has an opening 50 through its cup-shaped part, through which opening the end 43 of the journal 44 passes, and one side or shoulder 51 of the enlargement 52 on said journal forms a bearing for the annular flange 53, the edge of which iiange has a hearing on the part 43 of said journal. A further bearin g is formed by a hub 54, which is seated in a central hole in the disk 22 and has a socket 55, which receives the smaller and tapered part of said journal. The hub 54 has an annular outwardly-projecting iiange 56 on its inner end, which is seated between the disk and the cap 47, from which auge a lug 57 projects and seats in a corresponding recess 58 in the cup-shaped cap 47 for the purpose of locking said hub to said cap, whereby it will rotate positively with the disk. cles the journal 44 between the inner cupshaped bearing 60 on the hub 54 and the confronting cup-shaped bearing 61 in the angle or shoulder between the tapering part of the journal 44 and the enlargement 52 thereon. If preferred, ball-bearings may be used instead of the bearing 59. Oil or other lubricant is supplied through the inlet-hole 62 in the outer end of the hub 54, through which a threaded bolt 63 is screwed to retain the oil, and preferably it may also project within the hub and its end form a bearing against the end of the journal 44. The end of the hub 54 may, however, abut against the outer end of the journal 44 as a bearing therefor. By these means the disk is substantially mounted, while permitted to rotate freely, and in such manner that it may be readily, easily, and quickly removed for sharpening or for other purposes by simply first removing the nut 45, and may be as quickly replaced, and

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An annulus-shaped bearing 59 encir- IIO IZO

while removed may be separated from the hub ISO plane of rotation of the forward furrow-wheel to the line of progression of the plow, a purpose for which it could not or cannot be used in a plow in which a tongue is connected with the forward furrow-wheel for guiding it. As shown best at Fig. 3, the link is formed of a rod 66, pivotally connected at its forward end with the distal end of the crank-arm 15, a hand-lever 67, pivotally connected at its lower end with the distal end of the crankarm 38 and pivotally connected a short distance from its lower end with the rod 66 a short distance from its rear end, and a curved rack-bai' 68, fixed to the rod 66 in such position that an ordinary spring-dog 69, carried by the hand-lever 67, can be engaged with said rackbar to lock all of said parts -of the link 65 with respect to each other to form a positive connection between the crank-arms of the front and rear furrow-wheels or caster-wheels.

By swinging the hand-lever 67 rearwardly, as indicated by the dot-lines at Fig. 3, the crank-arm l5 will be swung rearwardly at its inner end, as shown best at Fig. 1, and will swing the spindle which carries the front caster-wheel 11 forwardly at its outer end, and thereby change the gather of said front casterwheel by turning its forward side inwardly, and thereby increase its tendency to run to landward, and thus tend to carry the forward end of the plow or machine in that direction. By adjustments of the hand-lever 67 forwardly at its upper end it will be evident that the crank-arm 15 will be swung in an opposite direction, the front side of the caster-wheel 11 turned outwardly, and the machine be thereby guided in an opposite direction to that last described. In operating the hand-lever 67, as described, the crankarm 38 will not be swung or deflected nor will the bracket-arm 35 be deflected. Hence the rear furrow-wheel 33 will not be swung or deflected thereby, and the link 65 may be said to be shortened by swinging the handlever 67 rearwardly and len gthened by swinging said lever forwardly. This shortening and lengthening arises from the different angles which the rod 66 and the hand-lever 67 assume to each other in the different adjustments of the hand-lever 67.

The hand-lever 67 is located in such close proximity to the drivers seat 31 that the driver can grasp its upper end and then by pressure on the ordinary thumblatch 70 can release the dog 69 to permit of adjusting the s hand-lever 67 and other parts, as hereinbefore described. By this means the hand-lever 67 can be used by the driver-to cause the disk 22 to run more or less to landward, as may be necessary in 'straightening furrows which have become slightly crooked, as they are more or less likely to do with tongueless wheel-plows. By adjustments of said handlever the front caster-wheel may also be adj usted at different angles to the line of progression of the machine, and thereby cause the machine to run more or less to landward,

as may be found necessary in soils of different degrees of hardness and in different conditions when the disk is adjusted to plow at different depths and is adjusted at different degrees of inclination or for other purposes.

In plowing around lands or iields or other areas in which it is necessary to turn the plow substantially at a right angle to com'mence a furrow after completing a preceding furrow and with the disk adjusted by the hand-lever 25 in its least-inclined position, or substantially so, the machine is stopped with the disk 22 about the width of a furrow from the end of the furrow last made. The draft-animals are then started to turn around, and in so doing they will pull the forward end of the machine from its position shown at Fig. 1 around, as shown at Fig. 2, and as the machine is so swung its rear end will swing to the right, and thus caster on the rear furrow-wheel 33. The rear casterwheel in thus changing its angular relation to the machine will by means of the crankarms 15 and 38 and their connecting-link 65 swing the front caster-wheel 11 into the angular position with respect to the machine, all as shown at the same ligure. It will be evident that when the two wheels 11 and 33 thus caster they will as the draft-animals are turned roll around each in the arc of a circle, and thus carry the machine around until it and the draft-animals are in proper positions to commence the next furrow, when the disk 22 will be found also in proper position for commencing said furrow. Then as the draft-animals are started forward the rear caster-wheel will at once swing into position, with its bracket 35 against the set-bolt 40, and in so swinging into position it will swing the front caster-wheel into proper working position. The disk is preferably adjusted in its least-inclined or nearest-vertical positions, as above described, for plowing in stubble, soft soil, or hard soil, even adobe, and set in this position the disk will throw the soil outwardly more. IVhen most inclined, the soil will be thrown outwardly less and slide off the disk more easily and with the least disturbance of the soil.

IVhen the disk 22 is adjusted in its mostinclined position,or substantially so,by swinging the hand-lever 25 to the rear, as is preferred by many farmers in plowing stiff sodsuch as J ohnson-grass sod, Bermuda-grass sod, or otherstiif sod-it is preferable to continue the furrows to the sides of the field, then raise the disk above the ground, as shown at Fig. 5, and turn and drive across the headland, and then turn again to commence the return furrow. The caster-wheels 11 and 33 in turning in this manner will perform the same as hereinbefore described.

In some instances it may be preferable to turn the machine fully around to commence a furrow in an opposite direction from the furrow last made. In such case the disk is also elevated, and the draft-animals in turn- ICO IIO

67 :it will automatically be turned properly without any further aid than the natural side pull of the draftanimals after they have turned at an angle to the machine, and it will further be seen that the automatic action of the caster-wheels is not dependent upon their connection with a tongue and that the rear caster-wheel entirely controls the action of the forward caster-wheel and that this invention thus has substantially a new mode of operation,differing from many former tongueless wheel-plows.

The scraper 7l is of ordinary construction and is carried by the ordinary curved bar 72, which is adj ustably connected with the standard 20.

I do not claim as my invention the means herein shown and described, consisting of the fixed standard 17, the pivoted link 18, the pivoted standard 20, and the short arm 25 of the hand-lever, which act collectively on the principle of a parallel ruler and by adjustments of said hand-lever at different inclinations are used to adjust the disk for plowing at different depths and also entirely above the surface of the ground without substantially changing the inclination of the disk in a plane parallel with its axis of rotation. My invention in this connection consists in providing means whereby the standard 2O can be rocked or swung and adjusted in different positions independently of the link 18 for the purpose of adjusting the disk at different inclinations in a plane parallel with its axis of rotation.

The standard 2O may be formed of a bent bar, as shown, or otherwise constructed so as to have the proper bearing-surfaces at its ends for the lever 25 and the link 18 and an abutting surface for the disk-journal 44, Fig. 9, which will hold said journal and the disk 22 at the desired angle, and although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of others of the several elements of my improvements, yet I do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a wheel-plow, of a plow beam or frame, a plow supported thereby, supporting-wheels, two of which are lo' cated, one in advance of the plow, and the other in rear thereof, and both of which are caster-wheels, a movable link connection between said caster-wheels whereby upon the turning of the forward end of said beam or frame the control of said forward wheel is effected by the rearward wheel, and means under control of the operator interposed in said link connection for swinging the front caster-wheel independently of the rear casterwheel, substantially as described.

2. In a tongueless, disk, wheel-plow, and in combination, substantially as described, a plow-frame, a plow mounted thereom supporting-wheels, twc of which are located, one in advance of the plow and the other in rear thereof, and both of which are caster-wheels, crank-arms projecting radially from the pivotal shafts on which said wheels caster, and a link connecting said crank-arms, and comprising a rod pivotally connected at one end with one of said crank-arms, a locking handlever pivotally connected at its end with the other crank-arm and above its end with said rod, and a rack-bar mounted on said rod, whereby thedog on said hand-lever may engage therewith after adjustments to lengthen and shorten said link and thereby guide the plow.

3. The combination in a wheel-plow, of a plow beam or frame, a front caster-wheel, a rear caster-wheel, means whereby upon the turning of the forward end of the beam or frame the control of the said forward wheel is effected by the rearward wheel, and means for effecting a swinging movement of said wheels under the control of the operator.

4. The combination in a wheel-plow, of a plow beam or frame, a front caster-wheel, a rear caster-wheel, means whereby upon the turning of the forward end of the beam or frame the control of the said forward wheel is effected by the rearward wheel, and crankarms and a hand-lever for effecting a swinging movement of said wheels under the control of the operator.

5. In a wheel-plow,and in com bination,substantially as described, aplow frame, or beam, sup porting-wheels, a standard rigidly fixed to said plow frame or beam, a link pivotallyconnected at its rear end with said fixed standard, a standard pivotally connected at its lower end with the forward end of said link, a plowing-disk mounted on said pivoted standard, a ratchet-bar adjustably mounted on said plow frame, or beam, and a bent, or elbow-shaped hand-lever pivotally connected at one end with said pivoted standard and pivotally connected at its bend with said ratchet bar whereby adjustments of said ratchet-bar will adj ust said pivoted standard CII IDO

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at different angles, and thereby adj ust the inclination ot' said disk substantially as' described.

6. In a disk wheel-plo w,and in combination, substantially as described, a plow-beam 4, fixed standard 17, link 18, pivoted standard 20, disk 22, rack-bar 26 adjustably mounted on the beam 4, and bent hand-lever 25 pivotally connected at its bend with said rackbar, and at its shorter end with the pivoted standard 20, whereby adjustments of said rack-bar will adjust the pivoted standard 2O at different angles and thereby adj ust the inclination of the disk 22 substantially as described.

7. In a tongueless Wheel-plow, and in coinbination, substantially as described, a plowframe, a plow mounted thereon, supportingwheels, one of which is a caster-wheel located to run i'n the furrow in rear of the plow, and a set-bolt, or stop, adj ustably seated in said plow-frame to Contact with the arm on which the caster-wheel is journaled.

8. In a tongueless wheel-plow, and in combination, substantially as described, a plowframe, a plow mounted thereon, supportingwheels, two of which are located, one in advance of thc plow and thc other in rear there of,and both of which are caster-wheels,crank arms projecting radially from the pivoted shafts on which said wheels caster, a link pivotally connected with said crank-arms, and a set-bolt, or stop, adj ustably seated in said frame to contact with the arm on which the caster-wheel is journaled.

9. Inadisk,Wheel-plow,a combination comprising a furrow-forming disk 22, a standard 20, a journal 44 having a stud-bolt 42 with enlargements 43 and 52 and a lug 46 on one of its ends, a hub 54, a bearing 59, a cap 47, bolts 4S, oil-inlet 62, bolt 63, and nut 45, all constructed and combined substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STALEY D. POOLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. POOLE, SCHILLER Hosironp. 

